German minister complains German EVs aren’t Tesla-sexy

Politician tells automaker execs their electric cars are derivative, unsexy and in need of some fresh ideas

A German politician last week lambasted executives from three German automakers – to their faces – for not making electric cars he considered exciting or as “sexy” as a Tesla.

Minister Peter Altmaier asked the head bosses from Daimler, Audi and BMW “I really wonder when you, Mr. Zetsche, or you, Mr. Diess, or Mr. Krüger of BMW will be able to get an electric car built, which is only half as sexy as one by Tesla” during a panel on artificial intelligence.

That is a blunt statement, to say the least, especially considering commentary on the aesthetics of vehicles and products is something rarely seen from a government official.

Altmaier also asked the automakers if they “could actually come up with some fresh ideas.”

Ouch! A brutal kick in the plums—two, in fact. The minister’s comments are aimed at the relatively small amount of electric cars the country is currently producing, and the unfortunate fact none of them are industry best-sellers, or selling too well at all.

Tesla is destroying them on all fronts, and it can be argued it’s because the California brand knows a thing or two about styling (but above all, marketing).

Whether you like Tesla or not, they create a unique vehicle with a unique shape, whereas the Germans seem to think it’s fine to just drop an electric motor and the letter ‘E’ into an existing model, like VW did the e-Golf, or Audi the E Tron.

Even BMW’s offerings can be argued against, with the i3 being an ugly little wart of a car. The i8 is arguably pretty sexy, but costs way too much for a regular person to consider buying.

While the comments from Altmaier are shocking and, let’s be honest, rude, we agree with him. The Germans need to do something to revitalize their EV vehicles to make them desirable and “sexy.” Maybe with the release of Porsche’s Taycan and Audi’s E-tron GT, he’ll change his tune (even if they’re derivative of the Tesla Roadster).